Kallas pointed to Ukraine, where North Korean soldiers were already operating and China was providing military hardware to Russia.
“There were some very strong messages in the US Secretary of Defense’s speech regarding China,” Kallas said.
“I think again, if you are worried about China, you should be worried about Russia,” she said.
The EU wanted to build “partnerships in our mutual interest” in the Asia-Pacific, including in the field of defence.
“The European Union has shifted gear and reimagined our own paradigm as a peace project backed up with hard defence,” Kallas said.
“We are fast becoming a global security partner,” she added.
Speaking earlier, Hegseth told delegates “we’re pushing our allies in Europe to own more of their own security to invest in their defence”.
“Thanks to President Trump, they are stepping up,” he said.
